The Great Yarmouth Power Station is a 420 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant on South Denes Road in Norfolk, operated by RWE Generation UK. Opened in 2001 on the site of a former oil-fired plant, it was built by Bechtel for a BP-led consortium at a cost of £185 million. Using natural gas from the Bacton Terminal, 43 km away, it supplies power to about 350,000 homes with a high efficiency of 57%.

Electricity generation in Great Yarmouth began in 1894 with a coal plant, later replaced by the South Denes oil-fired station in 1958. That 252 MW plant, known for its 110-metre chimney — Norfolk’s tallest structure — closed in the 1980s and was demolished in a 1997 controlled explosion witnessed by thousands.

Today’s station continues the site’s long energy heritage with modern, efficient gas technology. Its GE gas turbine and Hitachi steam turbine use waste heat recovery to boost performance, while cooling water is drawn from the River Yare. Compact and efficient, Great Yarmouth Power Station remains an important part of East Anglia’s electricity supply.